The Other Side of Nowhere
by charlie009d
Summary: He was gone, but he was there. To be honest Dipper didn't know what exactly he was. All he knew was that he had to protect his sister from a certain triangular demon who has a few tricks up his sleeve and deals to dish out.
1. Chapter 1

The Other Side of Nowhere

 _Nope, don't own Gravity Falls… This just sort of jumped into my mind after watching Over the Garden Wall, so give it a shot and let me know what you think._

Mabel was a free spirt, or so their parents said. Dipper couldn't argue, his sister's randomness was not uncharacteristic and it always kept things interesting at family dinners; not to mention the fact that it had saved their behinds on more than one occasion. Though Dipper would rather not admit it, but in Gravity Falls thinking with one's head was not always the logical solution, so Mabel's spontaneous bursts were rather useful. For that exact reason did the boy in the cap seldom get angry with his sister, but not always was Mabel helpful.

The brush of bending trees whipped Dipper's face as his sister ran in front of him not bothering to hold the low branches as they sprinted through the woods, their trail long gone. Really it had been a fine morning, nothing strange in the least. Grunkle Stan had opened shop only to close down tours an hour later when Soos had accidently tipped over the display of killer ants. After clean up the rest of the day looked boring and of course the twins had to go looking for trouble.

The sound of beating wings grew heavier behind them as the plunged deeper into the forest and Dipper covered his head as a taloned claw swooped down on him from above.

"You just had to shoot the Griffin eggs with the grappling hook, didn't you?" Dipper called out to his sister who was still several paces ahead of him.

Mabel twisted to grin at her brother, her lucky grappling hook still in hand. "Do you know how many omelets one of those things would make? Grunkle Stan wouldn't have to buy eggs for months!"

Dipper caught her arm as she stumbled over a patch of roots and helped her on her way. "Mabel this isn't funny! That thing is going to kill us and it's going to be your fault!"

Mabel's playful laughter washed over him as the furious mother Griffin swooped down and made another grab for the twins. Dipper heard the material of his backpack tear and craned his neck to watch as the contents spilled behind him. Barely had a reached back in time to grasp his journal as it too shifted its way out. Tucking the precious book safely in his arms, he pulled off the shredded backpack and thrust it at the Griffin's open beak.

While the creature was momentarily caught off guard by the unexpected projectile Dipper bound forward replacing Mabel as the lead. Ducking into a mess of elder berry bushes he slowed his pace and yanked his book open mumbling to himself as he leafed through the pages.

"That thing is going to tear us apart if I don't do something…" He mumbled his eyes flashing over the crudely drawn pictures. "It says here that it will leave us alone once we are out of its hunting grounds." Dipper gulped audibly. "…Or else we become food for its babies."

"Grappling hook!" His sister cheered beside him.

"Wha… Mabel!"

Dipper had turned in just enough time to see his sister raise her trusted grappling gun into the air and fire as she gave him a brace filled grin. The Griffin, out of sight, gave a rather obnoxious squawk and feathers rained upon them like candy out of a piñata. Mabel's smile was still in place as her feet were lifted off the ground and she went with her hook which had buried itself deep within the Griffin's side.

"Mabel let go!" Dipper called, stumbling through the brush trying to keep pace with the wounded Griffin that was whisking his twin sister away.

"Can't, Broseph!" Mabel called back as she was rising ever higher. "Can't abandon my partner in crime."

Dipper followed suit, he was no longer the hunted but the hunter. He couldn't let that stupid overgrown chicken fly his sister off into the sunset only to be pecked to death by magical Griffin chicks. Hoisting himself onto a large rock, the boy with star shaped birthmark used it as a spring board to hurtle himself into the air. Using Mabel's face as a step stool he latched onto the rope with his free hand while he still had a firm grasp on his journal with the other. Above them the Griffin roared in pain as more weight was added to the hook protruding from its side.

Seizing the rope that connected his sister and the mammoth of an animal in his jaws, Dipper chewed away at the strands silently wishing that his pocket knife hadn't fallen out when his book bag had been sliced open. He could hear Mabel's protests below him but no words were audible with his foot in her face. With one last mighty chomp Dipper watched as the last of the rope frayed, separating he and Mabel. A small squeak of terror bubbled from her mouth as gravity took hold and she began to fall, leaving Dipper stranded on what was left of the ruined grappling hook.

"Tuck and roll!" Dipper shouted over the heavy beating on the Griffin's wings as it took him higher into the sky.

Mabel shifted her body so that her upper shoulders took most of the hit when the ground finally came to great her. The wind knocked out of her, the girl with the shooting star sweater slowly sat up with a groan. Her brown eyes lifted to the sky as she watched the creature make off with her brother. Standing on shaky legs, a gasp of pain tore from her and her hand shot to hold her aching right shoulder. Mabel's right arm hung limply at her side as she blinked black spots away from her vision.

Above Dipper breathed a sigh of relief as he watched his sister stand, knowing that for the most part Mabel was safe. The rope gave a violent jerk and his body did a wide arch as he swung dangerously. More trees were below him and a small stream flowed toward a great lake, but Dipper couldn't take the time to appreciate the beauty of the aerial view; his hand was slipping. No, not the one holding the rope, but the one holding on to the old journal that had become his most prized possession. He had to be at least four stories up, Dipper estimated. There was no way the book would survive a fall like that and his palms became sweaty at the very thought of picking ruined pages out of the water.

Taking a deep breath, Dipper quickly scanned through his options. Let the book go, hold on to the rope with both hands; or try to grab on to one of the tall pine trees of the forest. Before he had a chance to actually decide the branches of trees were brushing his toes and he let out a small whimper of fear. Wrapping his legs around a tree top he felt the rope go taught as he was the tug of war rope between the Griffin and the pine tree. Dipper surprised himself as he let go and he was suddenly falling. It seemed to go in slow motion, he watched the Griffin fly off as the sky retreated from view and the trees around him blocked his vision.

Then he hit the first branch.

Dipper wished he could scream as he felt thick wood give way behind his back, but all that came from the excruciating pain racing up his back was his mouth open in a silent shriek as he had no air left. He felt like he was falling down the rabbit whole in a never ending downward spiral. Each hit was more painful that the last as his body became a ragdoll, and then the branches meant nothing as the ground raced toward him, he couldn't feel them any longer. Dipper didn't know if that was good or bad, but he was grateful for the loss of sensation.

With a loud thump, Dipper hit the ground and rolled down a small incline finally stopping at the edge of the water among the rocks and the dried up lily pads. He had lost the journal in the fall and he silently cursed himself for coming up with such a stupid plan. It was going to be a fun night having Grunkle Stan set his broken bones because heaven knew that his great uncle would probably be too cheap to take him to the hospital. Dipper stared at the forest canopy as he laid on his back half in the water and half out, just trying to collect his wits. The boy didn't feel anything, a grace period of sorts, he concluded.

"Dipper!" He heard Mabel cry. He heard her feet splashing through the water toward him.

" 'm fine…" He grumbled sitting up and rubbing his head. "Grunkle Stan is going to flip his lid when he sees me, huh?"

Mabel brushed past him and Dipper suddenly felt a sort of ice pulsing through his veins. Turning to gaze over his shoulder he watched as his twin dropped to her knees in the mud by the creak. He could see her shoulders shaking and a bit of blood had soaked through her pink sweater.

"Mabel, you're hurt." He gasped coming up behind her to get a better look at her wounded arm and shoulder.

The icy feeling dissipated and Dipper was filled with a hollow nothingness as he found the source of Mabel's attention. The usually upbeat girl was bent over a prone body half in the water. His hat had been knocked off in the fall and Mabel lifted it on to her head as she hugged the still body to her breast. Tears stained her rosy cheeks and Dipper too fell to his knees beside the body.

"Bro bro…" Mabel sobbed into Dipper's hair. "Dipper please, you can't just leave me here on my own…"

Dipper reached forward with a trembling hand to comfort Mabel, but in all reality he was being selfish. He was the one who needed comfort as he gazed at his only sister cradling his dead body in her injured arms. This… this was a dream; it simply could not be real. But as Dipper made contact with Mabel, his hand passed right through her and the poor girl's sobs only increased.

"Mabel… please…. I'm right here, turn around." However, as Dipper stared into his own wide, unseeing eyes, he knew that his pleas would not be answered.

All around him the world was different, he suddenly realized. Everything was gray and only he and his sister stood out in color. Mabel had a bright aura about her while Dipper's wasn't quite as radiant, but the body in the girl's arms was gone and held no life therefore was just as gray as the world around them.

"I- I- But I can't be dead…" He whispered looking at his hands as if they would suddenly be missing.

"Well looky here, you've got yourself in quite the predicament, haven't you Pine Tree?"


	2. Chapter 2

Dipper could feel Bill's ominous presence behind him as he trudged through the forest, his head hung in defeat. The sun had set long ago and the only lights that could guide him in the gray world were emanating from Grunkle Stan's lantern in front of him and Bill's floating figure behind him. The triangle had tried to speak to him a few times, but Dipper had ignored each of his attempts. He wasn't dead, Dipper refused to believe it. He had to be having some sort of out of body experience, yeah. That was exactly what was happening.

Mabel had fled from the forest after Dipper had fallen from the tree tops and made her way back to the Shake. The boy with the birthmark had tried to fall back into his body just like he had when Bill had possessed him, however his efforts proved unfruitful. Unable to do anything else, Dipper followed his sister back and watched as she told their great uncle what had happened.

Mabel had taken the lead in their little search party leading Stan and Soos through the dark woods toward the small creek where Dipper's body lay and the boy hated the fact that he could do nothing but watch. Not to mention that he had an interdimensional pain in the ass following his every move.

"Going to see your dead body, I have to admit this is morbid, Pine Tree. I like it." Bill chattered behind him.

Dipper rolled his eyes and pushed on through the darkness following the glow of the lantern. The light threw shadows against the trees making the night even more daunting. He let out a small sigh as he shoved his hands into his pocket and stared down at his feet that made no sound as he stepped on twigs and leaves. As far as he could tell no one beyond Bill could see him, which was increasingly frustrating as he refused to speak a single word to the demon. When he touched any of his family Dipper was filled with a cold unpleasant feeling and in return those he touch would become overwhelmed with grief. After coming to that realization he decided it would be best to keep his hands to himself.

Lost in his thoughts, Dipper didn't even notice when the group in front of him stopped. He walked straight through Mabel and cursed at himself as she let out a muffled sob.

"He's over there." She whispered, pointing toward the sound of water flowing.

Once Dipper got control of his shaking, he watched as Stan briefly placed a comforting hand on his twin's shoulder and disappeared over the steep incline toward the bank. Staying rooted where he was beside his twin sister, Dipper watched the light disappear as he held his breath.

"Waiting for a miracle?" Bill asked as he crossed his arms behind his pointy head. "I can tell you it's not going to happen, kid. You're as dead as a doornail. Quit holding your breath, you don't need it anymore."

Dipper again ignored him and watched as Stan's figure once again appeared. His great uncle had the lantern attached to his belt as a figure was held carefully in his arm. The old man looked up to them, his face masked in shadow, but Dipper could have sworn he saw a single silver tear roll down his face as he shook his head in the smallest of motions.

"Aw, little dude…" Soos mumbled as he stumbled toward Stan.

Mabel remained where she was, her head hung and gasps coming from her as she furiously whipped her nose with the sleeve of her torn sweater. Dipper felt his stomach drop out from under him. This wasn't real. He was dreaming, he hit his head in the fall and at any second he would wake up in the Shack and Grunkle Stan would be laughing at him.

But the only laughing that was being done was from Bill. "Ah, humans, holding on to hope until the very end. I have to admit that it's not as amusing as it used to be. Are you going to continue to torture yourself by following them. Who'd of thought that an insignificant squirt such as yourself would leave such a big crater in their ity bity pathetic human hearts."

Dipper finally snapped. "Get out of my head! Leave me alone, you've had your fun, now let me wake up from this nightmare!"

Bill began to glow a red aura around his edges. "I have bigger fish to fry than to play around with puny human brains for sport."

"Then why am I in the Dream Scape?" He demanded.

The red slowly melted away and Dipper could have sworn that he heard a note of pity in the demon's voice, which infuriated him. "You continue to think you know everything, Pine Tree."

"Then where am I?" He seethed. "How do I get back to my body?"

"Nowhere." He said, crossing his legs and swinging his cane in wide arcs. "and you don't."

Dipper watched as Stan passed his still form to Soos and wordlessly shut his eyes. His skin was as white as snow, and his mouth was still open in a silent scream; the last moment of terror forever preserved on his face. He couldn't even pretend that he was sleeping peacefully. The body held so gently in Soos's arms was a monstrosity. It's limbs were bent and broken and it's clothes were torn and patched with blood. He didn't want that to be his families last image of him.

Stan shrugged off his jacket and placed it over Dipper's broken form, shielding him from Mabel's view. Shifting the body back into his arms he bowed his head and let out a great sigh. His great uncle was far beyond his glory days, but in that that moment Stan looked far older than Dipper had ever seen him. The weight of the world was crushing him as he dragged his feet back through the woods and toward the Shack, Mabel and Soos following somberly.

"You're just like your great uncle…" Stan whispered to the body in his arms. Dipper could see his journal stuffed into the man's back pocket. "This never would have happened if Ford was here instead of me… He knew how to handle this town.. I never meant… never wanted for this to happen…"

"Even old Sixer couldn't have stopped this." Dipper heard Bill chuckle, but he was too hung up on his Grunkle's guilt to question the demon.

"W- why is this happening…?" He whispered, unable to follow his family any farther. "I don't want to see this. Isn't there supposed to be some sort of light or great beyond or whatever?"

"You really think that?" Bill questioned, sounding mildly surprised

"This is the afterlife, isn't it…?" He asked softly, desperation ringing in his tone.

"Not everyone makes it to a better place, kid."

Dipper saw the last of Stan's light disappear and he was left alone in the black wood with the demon of nightmares. "I'm in hell?"

He jumped at Bill's sudden outburst of roaring laughter. "Life is hell, kid. If you ask me this place is much better. You lost your chances at ever seeing the Pearly Gates after you shook hands with me."

A sudden rage washed over Dipper as he snapped his head up to glare at the demon. It wasn't fair, how was he to know that making a deal for a stupid password would damn him for all eternity?

"So I'm supposed to wander around until everyone I know dies?" He snarled, stalking closer toward Bill. "I have to stay in this limbo until the world disappears and only I'm left?"

"I'd watch that temper, Pine Tree." Bill told him as his aura began to glow a light shade of red. "People who lose themselves here are never found again."

Dipper took several deep breaths and closed his eyes. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed. "What do you mean? Where am I?"

"I told you, you're Nowhere. It's easy to let your emotions get the better of you here, and when your true face reveals itself, well things get pretty ugly." Bill jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward what looked like an eyeball with bat wings. It had a purple glow that engulfed it as it soared through the woods. "See that guy? He was a French painter. Offed himself so that his work would become famous, it didn't. He got so angry that he sprouted wings and took off."

Dipper gave Bill a strange look. "So he lost his humanity and now he's… whatever that is?"

"Can't say he had much humanity to begin with, he's French."

Shaking his head, Dipper didn't know what to think. It was a dream, it had to be. Bill was the demon of Nightmares after all. Yeah, this was the Dream Scape and Bill was playing with his mind. Dipper pinched his arm, but felt nothing. A strange empty hole was burning within him, like a part of him was missing.

"That's your soul's detachment from your physical body." Bill piped up, and Dipper's eye twitched. "You'll get used to it, unless you become one of those Phantoms. Then you just 'POOF' are gone without a trace, no more Pine Tree."

Dipper really didn't like the sound of that. From Bill's garbled way with words what the boy gathered was that if he couldn't hold on to what really kept him human, then he would wind up as one of the spirits that haunted the woods. As if reading his thoughts, Bill spoke up again.

"I can help preserve you, if you are willing to make a deal."

 _Okay, another chapter done. Please leave me some comments I really enjoy constructive criticism. I have this fear that I am not writing Bill correctly. I posted this chapter last night, but for some reason only half posted, so I took it down._

 _Please review!_


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